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(pictured: Geoff Warren) While there is broad agreement among big super funds on the areas they must address in their insourcing of investment management, a new study by the Centre for International Finance and Regulation points to considerably varying opinions about which areas matter most and in what way. The study (“In-house Investment Management: Making and…

(pictured: Warren Chant) Six not-for-profit funds – AustralianSuper, First State Super, QSuper, REST, Sunsuper and UniSuper – have qualified as finalists in both the Super Fund of the Year and Pension Fund of the Year Awards for the upcoming 2016 Chant West Awards. The Awards cover 12 categories. There are 10 finalists in each of the…

(pictured: Lori Holland) Multi-asset investing via strategic partnerships with managers, being pioneered in Australia by Sunsuper, is branching out in the US and elsewhere across the spectrum of fund sizes and types. In Australia last week to present at Neuberger Berman client conferences in Sydney and Melbourne were several of the firm’s US-based fund managers including…

(pictured: Will Geyer) As Australian financial markets move to T+2 settlements from today (March 7), the investment industry is looking increasingly to technology to solve growing regulatory and investor demands. A global broker and fintech group, ITG, believes technology can be a performance differentiator. ITG launched a new trading and portfolio management platform last year….

(pictured: Cassandra Hardman) Global equity manager Johnston Asset Management has restructured its equity arrangements, with CIO Cassandra Hardman becoming the majority shareholder. Founder Richard Johnston retaining a minority interest. The firm, which is represented in Australia by John Schaffer’s Catallyst Advisors, has been managing a global mandate for Perpetual Investments since 2005. Hardman will continue to…

(pictured: David Braga)  Despite the increasing complexity of securities servicing – more cross border transactions, more derivatives, more private markets, more demand for information and transparency – there may be a silver lining for the big custodians. Maybe, for the first time in memory, they are able to differentiate themselves on capabilities rather than price….

(pictured: Sally Loane)  Sally Loane, the Financial Services Council chief executive, peppered the Government with criticism for considering taking changes to super to this year’s election during her address at the latest Women in Super lunch in Sydney last week. The lunch, which confirmed another round of the popular scholarships for Women in Super NSW…

(pictured: Matt Whineray) The New Zealand Superannuation Fund has made its first investment in a merger arbitrage strategy, committing NZ$200 million (A$183 million) to US hedge fund manager Ramius. The mandate focuses on investment opportunities arising through merger and acquisition transactions, predominately in listed companies in North America and Europe. Such event-driven strategies are rare in…

(pictured: Laurence Bailey) By Greg Bright It’s been a popular saying of Laurence Bailey for many years. And, as the custody veteran prepares for the next phase of his life, most likely to involve teaching or coaching, it is as true today as it was when he started in the industry in the 1980s – remarkably,…

(pictured: Shaun Parkes)  Shaun Parkes, who joined J.P. Morgan in 2003 in London and who has headed up the firm’s Investor Client Management business in Asia ex-Japan since 2013, is replacing Laurence Bailey as head of Investor Services Sales for Asia Pacific at J.P. Morgan. Bailey, a J. P. Morgan veteran of more than 30…